Some computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, communication, and image processing applications provide contextual user interface controls in the form of textual and/or graphical elements, typically positioned at a predetermined location of the user interface. A number, a type, and an order of such controls may be customized based on content, user preferences, available viewing space, etc. In many applications, when a new document is opened, a new viewing pane along with its user interface controls may be opened (or the current document hidden), which typically means loss of contextual continuity for the user.
With the increasing popularity of web applications located on servers within an enterprise or online (hosted offering) and accessed by clients for a wide variety of operations, typical tasks of computer applications are being taken over by document sharing, search, analysis, reporting, data mining, and similar web services. Web applications enable users to perform the same tasks as with local applications through user interfaces provided within a browsing application user interface. Pop-ups, dialog boxes, and task panes are user interfaces that may be used by a web application, but not necessarily in a consistent manner. The appearances of these user interfaces may differ, breaking contextual integrity and degrading user experience in some cases. Furthermore, determining which control elements to display in a limited viewing space and preserving task flow for users are additional challenges with web applications.